We welcome you to another month of United States solar energy updates. Well! May has been quite busy in the solar industry but we are back with exciting developments, impactful projects, top-notch innovations, and the latest solar news from across the country.
Let’s dive in!
Key Highlights
- Wind and solar power deliver billions in yearly health benefits to the U.S.
- EDP Renewables completes a 175-megawatt solar farm in Arkansas.
- California solar power surged past grid capacity in April, meeting 31% of the state’s electricity needs.
- Texas opens a new solar panel recycling facility in Breckenridge.
- Homeowners can now get Tesla Powerwall through SunPower dealers.
- Jones Power build two 25-megawatt solar farms in Western PA.
- Arevon begins construction of a 228-megawatt solar farm in Indiana.
- The U.S. has hit a record-breaking number of solar installations, surpassing 5 million.
- Maryland’s new solar grant program provides up to $7,500 to qualified households.
- The U.S. hikes tariffs on Chinese solar panels to 50%.
- California opens the nation’s first solar-powered truck stop.
- Connecticut School District goes solar with 486-kW Installation.
- Solar-friendly Maryland passes the Brighter Tomorrow Act.
- Sunrun is using home solar panels and batteries to help California balance its electricity grid.
- Vermont to gain a 5MW energy storage project from a local utility.
- Vermont lawmakers approve determined plan for 100% clean energy.
- Cypress Creek finishes building a large solar power plant with battery storage in Texas.
- Puerto Rico gets a new solar-plus-storage home energy solution from Tigo Energy.
- Schneider Electric unveils new batteries for microgrid.
- Microsoft signed the largest-ever corporate renewable energy deal.
Wind and solar power deliver billions in yearly health benefits to the U.S.
May 30, 2024: Research suggests wind and solar energy provide significant health benefits in the United States, amounting to $10 billion per year. According to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory study between 2019 and 2022, solar and wind energy generation yield $249 billion in air and wind quality benefits in this period. –Source
EDP Renewables completes a 175-megawatt solar farm in Arkansas.
May 29, 2024: EDP Renewables recently completed a 175-megawatt solar project in Arkansas. This project is expected to provide $106.2 million in lease payments to landowners and $12.4 million in tax revenue to the government over its lifespan. This construction also generated more than 330 jobs. –Source
Verogy finishes a large community solar project in Connecticut.
May 28, 2024: Verogy a Connecticut-based solar energy company has recently completed the largest solar project under the SCEF (Shared Clean Energy Facility) program. This project is named Enfieled Solar One with a capacity of 6 MW and is located in Enfieled Connecticut. This project will increase access to solar energy for homeowners and businesses properties without installed solar systems. –Source
California solar power surged past grid capacity in April, meeting 31% of the state’s electricity needs.
May 24, 2024: California has achieved a considerable milestone in generating solar power in April. Solar provided 31% of the electricity needed for the entire month, making it the largest sole electricity source in the state for the month of April. The solar peaked at 123% of the grid but it wasn’t the only broken record, California broke its record for highest electricity demand several times in April. –Source
Texas opens a new solar panel recycling facility in Breckenridge.
May 23, 2024: SolarPanelRecycling.com opened a new solar equipment recycling center in Breckenridge, Texas. This facility can process 300 megawatts of solar panels each year. It can recover and reuse materials from solar panels, inverters, batteries, and cables. This facility focuses more on efficient and responsible recycling of solar panels and other related equipment. –Source
Homeowners can now get Tesla Powerwall through SunPower dealers.
May 22, 2024: SunPower expanded its offerings by including Tesla Powerwall 3 for its residential customers. This gives a good option to homeowners seeking a wider selection of solar panels and battery solutions. SunPower is also offering financial options for the Tesla Powerwall to make it more accessible for residents. –Source
Jones Power builds two 25-megawatt solar farms in Western PA.
May 21, 2024: Jones Power was selected by Babcock & Wilcox Solar Energy to manage the civil construction of 2 solar projects with a capacity of 25 megawatts each in Western Pennsylvania. The construction began in March 2024 and is expected to be completed by the end of summer. –Source
Arevon begins construction of a 228-megawatt solar farm in Indiana.
May 20, 2024: Arevon Energy commences construction on a 228 MW solar project in Posey County, Indiana. This project is expected to be operational by mid of 2025. This project is one of the largest solar projects in the state which will power more than 25000 homes. This construction will create more than 200 job opportunities.- Source
The U.S. has hit a record-breaking number of solar installations, surpassing 5 million.
May 17, 2024: The United States has achieved a remarkable milestone in clean energy by installing more than 5 million solar panels in the country. It took 8 years to reach this number since the 1 million figure in 2016 which took almost 40 years to attain. The IRA (Inflation Reduction Act) of 2022 is the major contributing factor to increasing solar installation.- Source
Maryland’s new solar grant program provides up to $7,500 to qualified households
May 16, 2024: The new solar grant program in Maryland offers up to $7500 to eligible households. This program is called the Maryland Solar Access Program and was created under the Brighter Tomorrow Act of 2024. This solar access program is designed to make solar switches affordable for low-income residents.-Source
The U.S. hikes tariffs on Chinese solar panels to 50%
May 15, 2024: The United States government has recently raised tariffs to 50% on solar cells imported from China which was previously 25%. This decision by the Biden administration is taken after noticing unfair trade practices by China. This decision is complex and can bring positive or negative consequences. It will increase the cost of solar panels in the country and boost domestic solar cell production.-Source
California opens the nation’s first solar-powered truck stop
May 14, 2024: Bakersfield, California opened the world’s largest solar-powered electric truck stop. Boasting a massive 5.7 megawatt solar array, this facility is operated by WattEV. A 2.7 Mwh battery storage ensures the management of peak demand charges. This facility is a big step toward minimizing emissions and building a green future.-Source
Connecticut school district goes solar with 486-kW Installation
May 13, 2024: Verogy installs a 486 kilowatts solar portfolio for a Connecticut school district. This project will spread across Groton Middle School and Mystic River Magnet in Connecticut. It is estimated that this project will save more than $40000 annually on energy bills. This project is funded by Connecticut Green Bank with no upfront cost to the community. –Source
Solar-friendly Maryland passes the ‘Brighter Tomorrow Act’
May 10, 2024: Maryland took a big step towards augmenting the usage of solar energy in the state. Governor Wes Moore has passed the ‘Brighter Tomorrow Act (Senate Bill 783). This Act encourages online permitting system adoption which will potentially accelerate the process of solar installation approvals. This act also offers incentives for switching to solar power to lower the upfront cost.- Source
Sunrun is using home solar panels and batteries to help California balance its electricity grid
May 9, 2024: Sunrun is addressing California’s electricity imbalance using home solar and battery systems. It has connected more than 16200 California households into a VPP (virtual power plant). During peak times, VPP discharges the stored solar energy from the home battery system back to the grid. Source
Vermont to gain a 5 MW energy storage project from the local utility
May 8, 2024: Vermont utility approved a 5-megawatt energy project for MWL (Morrisville Water and Light). This project is a significant step towards making a clean energy future for the state. The goal of this project is to reduce reliability on the grid and carbon intensity during peak demand time.-Source
Vermont lawmakers approve determined plan for 100% clean energy
May 7, 2024: The Vermont legislature took an ambitious step by passing a bill that mandates the state to switch to 100% renewable energy. Vermont is the second state in the country to attain this goal by 2035. This bill is known as H.289 which encourages the development of small as well as medium-sized renewable energy projects.- Source
Cypress Creek finishes building a large solar power plant with battery storage in Texas
May 6, 2024: Cypress Creek Renewables have finished construction on their Zier Hybrid Solar Site in Brackettville, Texas. It has 208 megawatts of solar photovoltaic capacity which is enough to power more than 41600 households in Texas. This project is estimated to generate tax revenue of $11.5 million for Kinee County and $11.7 million for the Bracket Independent School District.-Source
Puerto Rico gets a new solar-plus-storage home energy solution from Tigo Energy
May 3, 2024: Tigo Energy recently introduced their EI residential solar solution specifically designed for Puerto Rican households. This system provides renewable energy with the ability to store energy and provide backup energy during outages. The system utilizes several Tigo Energy products including the EI Inverter, TS4 Flex MLPE devices, and the EI Battery.-Source
Schneider Electric unveils new batteries for microgrid
May 2, 2024: Schneider Electric recently launched a new battery storage system (BESS). It is designed specifically for microgrids which offer two enclosure sizes (7ft and 20ft) with a variety of power output ranges (60 kW to 500 kW) to make it suitable for varying microgrid needs. It seamlessly integrates with EcoStruxure Microgrid Flex (Schenider Electrics existing microgrid solutions)- Source
Microsoft signed the largest-ever corporate renewable energy deal
May 1, 2024: Microsoft is going big on green energy as it signed the largest corporate energy deal. It will be acquiring more than 10.5 gigawatts of renewable energy which is enough to power up to 1.8 million households. The construction is expected to begin by 2026. This move has positioned Microsoft as a leader in renewable energy efforts- Source
